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Laboratory Assessment of an In-Place Inclinometer Chain for Structural and Geotechnical Monitoring
Francesco Freddi1, Lorenzo Mingazzi1, Emilio Pozzi2
1Department of Engineering and Architecture, Università degli Studi di Parma, 43124 Parma, Italy.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 28, 2023
Summary
This study validates in-place inclinometer systems for real-time monitoring. Testing complete measurement chains, not just individual sensors, is crucial for accurate structural and geotechnical safety assessments.
Area of Science:
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Structural Health Monitoring
- Instrumentation and Measurement
Background:
- Real-time monitoring instrumentation is essential for effective early warning systems.
- In-place inclinometer systems are widely used for accurate, long-term structural and geotechnical measurements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present laboratory test results for prototypes and pre-production samples of an in-place inclinometer chain.
- To evaluate the performance of individual sensors and the complete measurement system.
- To validate the accuracy and repeatability of the inclinometer system under various simulated conditions.
Main Methods:
- Individual sensor calibration for measurement accuracy.
- Laboratory testing of single inclinometer elements and the complete measurement chain.
- Utilizing a novel centering device (Cardan joint and spring plungers) to prevent element bending and accommodate grooveless tubes.
- Employing a custom test setup to simulate displacements at each node and assess system stability over time.
Main Results:
- Calibration of individual sensors achieved a proper level of measurement accuracy.
- Laboratory tests confirmed the functionality of the centering device in preventing fictitious displacement measurements.
- The complete measurement chain demonstrated stability and repeatability in replicating various real-world scenarios.
- Overall system behavior analysis is necessary for validation, surpassing single-element performance evaluation.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights the importance of validating the entire in-place inclinometer measurement chain, not just individual components.
- The developed centering device effectively prevents bending and fictitious measurements in grooveless tubes.
- Accurate real-time monitoring for safety applications requires a holistic approach to system validation.
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